


Two Faced

by MaurLin



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Based On A Picture, Confusion, Fluff, Gen, Not Beta Read, Original Akuma, POV Original Character, Photography
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:08:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21999505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaurLin/pseuds/MaurLin
Summary: Why on earth would anyone pick Ashleigh to come to France and be in a photoshoot with Adrien Agreste?Yeah, she didn't get it either. Until she met him.Based on a picture posted to Discord by Karma. Thanks!
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 8
Kudos: 72





	1. Why me?

**Author's Note:**

> (Most) Characters belong to ZAG and Thomas Astruc.

“Mom, why are we here?” Ashleigh sighed. Getting yanked out of school for a trip- even a trip to  _ France- _ might have been okay, if she had been going there for fun. But this was for work; the work her mother wanted her to succeed in, no matter how Ashleigh felt about it.

“I told you before- you were chosen to model for the Agreste fashion line.” Her mother’s features were contorted in a frown. “It’s a great honor to be chosen for an international company.”

“I  _ know _ that part. But why me? And why now? I have tests at school!” School was the one thing Ashleigh felt she did well. She wanted to do well; she wanted a math scholarship, she wanted to go to MIT or Princeton. Ashleigh loved numbers; to her, they made a pattern that was beautiful, like a field of flowers.

“Because you’re the one they wanted. They saw your head shot and your other work, and picked you. Don’t question it.” Her mother plucked at the ensemble the fashion house had sent for Ashleigh to wear. “And don’t question this, either. This could be your big break.”

Ashleigh couldn’t see  _ how _ . A simple black V-neck with three horizontal stripes and a button-down shirt, skinny jeans and orange high-tops? What about this outfit screamed ‘international sensation’?

She sighed and pushed her long blonde hair behind her ear, leaning her elbow against the window of the car. If she was honest with herself, she didn’t want to be an internationally known model. Doing modeling work was more her mother’s dream, which Ashleigh was perfectly willing to go along with so long as it didn’t interfere with school. She had been doing local fashion shows and small-time ads for years. The good thing was that no one in her school had seen her in any of her ads, so she didn’t get teased constantly.  _ Just sometimes, for the shows. _

But if she was given the choice, she’d rather be at school.

The car pulled up to the curb, and her mother got out. A minute later, a new woman got in; thin, with dark hair except for a red streak. The woman began to speak in French; Ashleigh shook her head, not understanding more than a word or two.  _ That conversational French tutorial Mom got wasn’t worth crap, _ she thought.

The woman changed to English as her mother got in the front seat. “Hello, Ashleigh. My name is Nathalie; I am Mr. Agreste’s personal assistant. We will be going from here to the first location; you will meet the other model there.” She nodded coolly. “Mr. Agreste will be very pleased with you.”

_ That’s a weird thing to say _ , thought Ashleigh. No one here had seen her at work yet; their flight had been the day before, they spent the night in a hotel, and a car had been sent for them this morning. This was the first time she had met  _ anyone _ except a driver from her employer.

But Nathalie had stopped speaking; she began making notes on her tablet as Ashleigh dropped her eyes and turned to the window.  _ If only I knew why they picked me, of all the models they could have gotten. Anyone could have worn this- anyone would have jumped at the chance! Why me? _

She stared at the reflection of her green eyes in the window, not really concentrating on the neighborhoods they were passing through. She just wanted this to be over with.

The car finally pulled up to a park with a carousel at one end and a dry fountain at the other. Nathalie got out of the car and walked through the gates to a man with a camera. The driver (a big, burly, silent man) opened the car door for Ashleigh’s mother first, then for Ashleigh.

As she got out, a heavenly aroma hit her nose. She turned her head in the direction of the breeze, and saw a bakery- at least, she thought she remembered what ‘Boulangerie’ meant. A young girl her age came out the front door; she had dark hair done in pigtails. Her blue eyes were wide and visible even from here as she stared at Ashleigh.

“Come, Ashleigh,” commanded her mother. With a twinge of regret, Ashleigh followed her mother into the park.

She stood by a tree for a few minutes, as the adults put their heads together. Her mother appeared to be speaking with the assistant-lady.

“Hello,” came a slightly accented voice from behind her. She jumped, startled, and whipped around.

A boy Ashleigh’s age stood there, dressed exactly like her. She looked into his face, which had shortish blond hair and green eyes almost identical to hers. He smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “You must be my twin for the shoot. I’m Adrien.”

“Hi,” said Ashleigh, holding out her hand for him to shake. “I’m Ashleigh.” As they shook hands, she asked, “Twin?”

“Yes; the new line is for boy-and-girl matching outfits. I know my dad was looking for someone who could be my twin, but a girl.” He chuckled. “It looks like he found someone.”

“Um, yeah.”  _ This isn’t weird at all… _ But it would be rude to be sarcastic, so Ashleigh asked instead, “Your dad?”

“Gabriel Agreste.”

“Ohhh…” Now it made sense…kind of.  _ What kind of dad puts his own kid in his advertising campaigns?  _ Ashleigh looked over at her mother, who was arguing quietly with the black-haired woman.  _ Never mind. _

“So…how long have you been a model?” Adrien’s head cocked to the side, like an interested dog.

“Since I was seven. Local stuff, mostly, not…like this. Hand work, that sort of thing.” Wait, was she babbling? Ashleigh wondered at herself; she wasn’t the type to babble.

“Hand work? I don’t know what that is.” Now Adrien looked even more interested.

“It’s when they take pictures of your hands- touching things, holding hands with someone, wearing rings. I don’t often do work with my face. It’s good, because then no one at school knows I do this.” She shrugged. “They know about the fashion shows, and that’s bad enough.”

“What do you mean?”

Ashleigh sighed. “They tease me about thinking I’m famous or important. And I’m not- I just do this because Mom wants me to. I’d rather be in school right now.” She tucked her hair behind her ear and looked away, embarrassed.

“I understand that. I wasn’t allowed to go to school until this year.” Ashleigh looked back at Adrien, who had a smile on his face. “It sounds like we have some things in common. I just do this to help my dad; it isn’t what I want to do either.”

“Really? What would you rather do?”

“Uhh…” Adrien blushed and turned away, scratching the back of his head. He spotted someone across the park and waved. “Hey, Marinette!”

The pigtailed girl was standing nearby, with a pink paper bag in her hands. She jumped and looked around wildly, as if trying to find an escape route, before waving back timidly.

“Come on, you should meet Marinette.” Adrien grabbed Ashleigh’s hand and pulled her toward the other girl. “She’s a friend from school; she’s nice, but shy.”

“A-Adrien!” Marinette stuttered as they approached. She began to stammer in French, which made it impossible for Ashleigh to pick out anything of what she was saying. The blush on her cheeks and the look on her face were clear enough, though- this Marinette liked Adrien.  _ No, she more than likes Adrien. _

Ashleigh smiled, trying to put Marinette at ease, as Adrien introduced her. Not that she understood more than her name, “America”, and “anglais”, which she remembered meant “English”. She tried one of the few French words that stuck in her head. “Bon-jewer?”

From the way Adrien was hiding a smile, she must have murdered the pronunciation. Marinette gave him a look, before smiling at Ashleigh. “Hallo.” Her accent was thicker than Adrien’s. “My English is-  _ heuu _ -not so good.”

“It’s okay. My French is really bad.” Marinette had a little crease between her eyebrows, but nodded at Ashleigh’s admission. “If you try, I will listen hard. Okay?”

“D’accord…okay,” said Marinette. She looked down at her hands, and only then seemed to remember the pink bag. “This-  _ heuu _ \- for Adrien. You…too?” She held the bag out like a shield. The aroma Ashleigh had noticed earlier wafted from the top of the bag.

“Wow, Marinette. Croissants?” Adrien looked thrilled. “You are awesome!” Marinette handed him the bag, blushing; Adrien turned to Ashleigh. “Marinette’s father is the best baker in Paris- you should try one!”

Oh, how she wanted to, but Ashleigh saw her mother frowning at her. “We better not just yet. It looks like they’re almost ready, and my mom will kill me if I eat before a shoot. Especially this one.”

Adrien looked over too. “You’re right. I’ll put these away for later, and see if they’re ready. I’ll be right back.” He spoke quickly to Marinette and walked away, which left Ashleigh alone with the girl.

The silence stretched out. Finally, Ashleigh couldn’t take it anymore. “You like Adrien, right?”

Marinette jerked, as if she’d been stuck with a pin. “A-Adrien? No, no…a friend!”

Ashleigh fixed her with a knowing look. “ _ A friend _ does not bring croissants for no reason.”

Marinette looked confused, then slumped as she sorted out the sentence. “Oui…yes…” She twiddled her fingers as she looked away. “He look to me…I am friend. No more.”

Ashleigh put a hand on her shoulder. “I know. Like me and Matthew.” She pulled her phone out of her pocket and activated the screen, showing Marinette the picture there. “He goes to my school. I like him, but he only sees me as a friend.” The picture of a black-haired boy with intense blue eyes made Ashleigh’s heart flutter, every time she looked at it; she still couldn’t believe he’d let her take the picture.

Marinette blinked at her, and smiled. “Matthew- what- _ heuu _ \- he does?”

“He’s  _ wonderful _ . He makes things- here-“ Ashleigh opened the camera roll on her phone and showed Marinette all her candid shots of Matthew building things- wooden boxes, wire sculptures, painted scenery for a play. There was even one of him threading large wooden beads onto string for a child’s toy. “And he’s smart. He plays video games, and he’s really good- better than me. And he’s cute, and nice to everyone, and…” She ran out of words, and sighed happily, clutching the phone to her chest.

Marinette was trying not to giggle behind her hands. Ashleigh’s face burned, as she realized how much she had told a total stranger. “Sorry…” She bit her lip.

“No, no…okay,” Marinette patted her arm. She pulled her phone out of her purse and showed the screen to Ashleigh; the screen had a picture of Adrien on it. “See?”

Ashleigh laughed; so did Marinette as she put her phone back in her purse. And then both girls jumped as Adrien appeared behind them, saying “They’re ready for you, Ashleigh.”

“How do you DO that?!” Ashleigh demanded, trying to calm her racing heart. That was the second time he’d snuck up on her- “Are you part cat or something?”

“Uhh…sorry?” Adrien looked away, then back again with his hand behind his head. “The makeup artist wants to see you now.” He spoke a few words quickly to Marinette, who nodded and headed for a woman with a portable clothes rack. Adrien then took Ashleigh’s elbow and steered her toward a woman with a large case on a folding table next to a chair.

“So what were you two talking about?” he asked as the woman did Ashleigh’s face, then played with her hair.

“Oh, guys we like. You know.” Ashleigh shrugged.

“Oh, so you heard about Luka?” There was an odd note in Adrien’s voice as he asked the question.

Ashleigh was baffled, as much by Adrien’s tone as the question itself. “Who’s Luka?”

Now Adrien looked puzzled; he opened his mouth, then shut it again, as if he couldn’t quite figure out what to say. Finally he shook his head, and handed Ashleigh out of the chair and towards the photographer.

The shoot was maybe the most comfortable one she’d ever done; she was nervous at first, but Adrien muttered terrible puns under his breath until Ashleigh broke and laughed. She teased him back, and that ended the nervousness; after that, Ashleigh was able to follow the photographer’s directions to his satisfaction.

It took a few hours to go through all the poses and changes of outfits the photographer had planned for the day. Ashleigh found out that this was only the beginning; if Mr. Agreste liked the proofs tomorrow, she would be here for three more days, doing shoots in the afternoons with Adrien.

She didn’t mind that now. Adrien was starting to feel like a real brother. Not that she had one to compare him to- or a sister, for that matter- but he felt like someone she could talk to about anything; someone who would always back her up when she needed it.


	2. What is That?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien, Ashleigh, and...an akuma? (What's an akuma?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Most of) these characters belong to ZAG and Thomas Astruc.

The next morning, Adrien and Ashleigh looked over some of the proofs at his house while her mother and Mr. Agreste had a meeting.

“I like this one the best,” she said. The photo was a discard, because both of them were making absurd faces in it; Ashleigh’s eyes were crossed and her cheeks puffed as she tried to hold in a laugh, while Adrien had an almost-evil smirk as he glanced at her.

“That one? But we look silly in it,” Adrien protested, turning the picture in his hands as if trying to find a better angle.

She poked him in the side. “That’s why I like it. Doesn’t it look like a real brother and sister?” She picked the photo out of his hands and smiled at it.

He poked her back. “Does a sister poke her brother?” he teased.

“This one does,” Ashleigh said in lofty tones, with her nose in the air.

“Hmmm…” Adrien’s smirk was back. “Does that mean a brother can ask personal questions?”

_ Uh oh… _ “Like what?” Ashleigh said warily.

“Like about that boy you like. The one you told Marinette about.”

“He’s just a guy from school. No big deal.” Ashleigh felt her face burn.

“My sister likes him. That makes it a big deal.” Adrien crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows, staring her down.

She wasn’t getting out of this one until he was satisfied, that much was clear. “Fine,” she sighed. Ashleigh explained Matthew to Adrien, blushing the whole time, and showed him her phone. “Your turn. Who do  _ you _ like?”

Adrien’s cheeks turned a deep pink and he turned his head away. She gave him another poke. “Come on, Adrien! I told you mine…” Ashleigh spread her hands wide.

“It’s…no one you’ve met,” he said reluctantly. His face turned even redder.

“Oh, please. I bet you have her picture on your phone.” A thought crossed Ashleigh’s mind.  _ It would explain how he reacted before... _ “Or is it  his picture- maybe that guy-“ she searched her memory-“Luka?”

“No! It’s just-“ Adrien sighed, his face scarlet. “Here.” He opened his phone and pulled up a photo, then handed the phone to Ashleigh. The photo was of a girl in a skintight red outfit with black polka-dots and a mask. It looked like she was swinging from a thin string in front of the Eiffel Tower. Her hair was dark and pulled back in pigtails with ribbons, and her eyes were bright blue.

Ashleigh studied the phone for a minute, blinking, as Adrien sipped at a glass of water. “Why is Marinette in some kind of costume?”

Adrien choked, and spluttered at her question, spitting most of his mouthful all over the table. Ashleigh lunged to save the proofs.

“What?!” he managed after a moment. “That’s not Marinette- that’s Ladybug.” At Ashleigh’s blank look, he added, “She’s Paris’ superhero. Well, one of them, but Ladybug’s the best. She’s smart, and brave, and beautiful-“

“She- sounds awesome,” Ashleigh laughed. “But she still looks like Marinette in a mask. Are you sure they aren’t the same person?”

Adrien got up, grabbing a napkin to mop up the table. “No one knows who Ladybug is. That’s part of being a superhero.” He coughed. “At least, I think that’s how it works. Besides, Marinette is nervous, and a bit clumsy. Not exactly the superhero type, although she’s awesome too, in her own way.”

“I didn’t think she was that bad. She wasn’t nervous around me after a minute, and I didn’t see any clumsiness yesterday.” Ashleigh narrowed her eyes. “Maybe she just acts that way around  _ you _ .”

“Why around me?” Adrien was mystified.

_ Typical oblivious boy, _ Ashleigh thought, rolling her eyes. “Because she likes you- why else?”

Adrien’s face fell. “No, she doesn’t. Not that way. She told me so.”

There was probably a story behind that, but Ashleigh let it go. She shook her head. “Yes, she does. It’s  your face on her phone. But if she knows that you only see her as a friend; she’d hide it from you.” She looked away from Adrien’s shocked face. “I know, because the way she acts around you- it’s the same way I act around Matthew. Nervous, because you wish it was more, but…well, better to be a friend, than to face rejection.” She felt her eyes smart at that admission, and she blinked hard.

The uncomfortable pause after her statement was interrupted by Nathalie and Ashleigh’s mother. The meeting was over, and it was time to move on to the next location for more photos. But Adrien kept quiet most of the day when they weren’t in front of the camera. Ashleigh let him be; she knew she’d accidentally given him a lot to think about.

Adrien was back to his old self for the third day of shooting, joking as terribly as ever. Ashleigh wished she could be a normal person on vacation here; the buildings (like the one they were currently in) were spectacular, and Adrien knew details about the history that made them interesting.

Suddenly their rhythm was broken by Ashleigh’s mother storming up and grabbing her wrist. Dragging her away from the shoot, it was the rudest thing Ashleigh had ever seen her mother do. “Mom! What’s wrong?”

“We’re done, Ashleigh. If they won’t give you an equal spotlight with that spoiled son of Mr. Agreste’s, then you don’t need them.”

“Adrien’s not spoiled! And we agreed to this, Mom! I didn’t want to do this at first, but we’re here now, and so what If I’m not the star?” Ashleigh dug in her heels and broke her mother’s grip. “I don’t understand! I thought this was what you wanted!” She rubbed her wrist as she faced her mother down.

“No, Ashleigh. I want you to have a future! Not to be eclipsed by some rich brat!” She might have said more, but a fluttering purple butterfly came between them and landed on a cameo brooch on her mother’s lapel. The butterfly vanished, and the cameo darkened; a strange purple light appeared in front of her mother’s face.

Adrien appeared at Ashleigh’s elbow, tugging at her sleeve. “Ashleigh, we need to run!”

“I’m not running from my own mother,” she said tartly.

“She won’t be soon! Come on!” But Ashleigh refused to move.

The brooch began to bubble with a sickening black-purple energy that radiated out and engulfed her mother. When it faded, someone else stood there.  _ She kind of looks like Mom, but…not,  _ Ashleigh thought. This person had violent red hair instead of blonde-white, deep black eyes and a yellow-green skin tone; her costume looked like her mother’s suit, remade in a shiny deep green with the sheen of scales.

“Mom?” Ashleigh couldn’t process what had happened; her heart began to race as her breath came in gasps.  _ This is impossible! _

“I am no longer your mother!” declared the green being. “I am Dragon-Elle, and you WILL be a star!” She turned her black gaze on Adrien. “And YOU won’t be!”

The crazy green woman-  _ That’s my mom! _ \- snatched at Adrien; Ashleigh reached out to grab the wrist while Adrien ducked and backed away. Ashleigh threw herself between Adrien and Dragon-Elle, holding her hands up. “Please, Mom! You’ve got to stop!”

Behind her she could hear footsteps running away; at least Adrien had the sense to get away while he could. Tears pricked at Ashleigh’s eyes as she stared into the inhuman black ones, and she started to shake. The green woman tried to duck around her, but Ashleigh stayed in front of her, blocking her path. “This isn’t right, Mom! Please!”

Their dance of dodging and blocking brought them closer to the other people in the room. Adrien’s bodyguard attempted to intervene, and got a green hand to the chest for his pains; he became a smiling green-skinned minion of Dragon-Elle. “You, find that boy Adrien and bring him here,” the woman demanded, and the bodyguard ( _ does he have a name?  _ Ashleigh wondered) lumbered off.

Dragon-Elle then found the photographer hiding behind a nearby door. Another hand to the chest, and he smiled and bobbed his head subserviently. “You will only take pictures of Ashleigh from now on,” she said; the photographer lifted up his rig and began to snap photos.

Ashleigh tried to back away, but the photographer followed her, as did Dragon-Elle. She caught her foot on a crack in the floor, and tripped, flailing her arms.

She was caught by someone, and carried away; she saw it was a boy in a- cat costume? He made an impossible leap with her to a high, open window. “ _ Bonjour, mademoiselle, _ ” he said, but Ashleigh had to shake her head. 

“Sorry…I don’t speak French well; do you speak English?”  _ Oh, why didn’t Mom let me take French in school instead of those private Chinese tutors?  _ Ashleigh doubted this guy was fluent in Mandarin- not that she was that good, but it was better than her French.

“Of course,  _ mademoiselle. _ I am Chat Noir. And you are?” He seemed amused for some reason.

“Ashleigh!” Below, she could hear the- thing- her mother had become screeching and running to an exit as the black cat-suited boy carried her outside and to a nearby roof.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is kind of an awkward split, but I'm hoping the next section will be the last. Or it might be split. Depends on how it looks.
> 
> Let me know what you think! Comments/ opinions/ kudos appreciated.


	3. Dragon-Elle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashleigh's mom is an akuma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Most of) the characters belong to ZAG and Thomas Astruc.

“What about my mom?” Ashleigh wriggled out of the boy’s grip and ran to the edge of the roof. “What happened to her?”

“The black butterfly is an akuma. They are sent by a villain called ‘Papillon’ to people who are feeling a negative emotion; it turns them into a servant of his and gives them powers.”

Ashleigh felt stupid. She had been so focused on the fact that Adrien had a crush on a superhero, she had never bothered to ask  why Paris had superheroes. And now her mom was a servant of evil.

The boy hero- Chat Noir?- mistook her embarrassment for fear. “Don’t worry,  _ mademoiselle _ Ashleigh. When Ladybug gets here, we will find a way to free the akuma and rescue your mother.” He patted her shoulder.

The two of them watched the chaos below for a minute or two; Dragon-Elle was still searching for Adrien and Ashleigh. People were running away; some began to scream as Dragon-Elle emitted a blast of fire from her mouth.

Chat Noir said something in French that sounded annoyed. “She breathes  _ fire??” _

“Well, she does have a mouth on her. You’ve never heard her mad.” Ashleigh was watching the bodyguard, who was hunting mechanically through the street. She wondered what he would do if he found Adrien; she wished with all her heart that her photo-twin had found a safe place to hide.

A soft noise from behind her made her whip around. The girl from Adrien’s phone- Ladybug- had landed on the roof; she fired a rapid string of French at Chat Noir, who replied something that involved her name. Ashleigh stood near them, feeling useless.

Chat Noir sensed her distress, and gently pulled her into the discussion. “ _ Mademoiselle _ Ashleigh, Ladybug does not speak English as well as she understands it; we did not mean to leave you out.” He smiled, an eerily familiar gesture. “We can speak English, and milady will understand.”

Ladybug smiled too, and said a phrase in French, patting Ashleigh’s shoulder. Ashleigh smiled at her; the girl really did look (and act!) like Marinette.

A roar from below distracted all of them. Dragon-Elle had set fire to a small tree nearby; she stood next to it and shouted, “Ladybug and Chat Noir! I know you have my daughter! Bring her back and give up your miraculous, or watch the city burn!"

Chat Noir glanced at Ladybug. She set her feet, spun her yoyo in the air, and cried ( _ in English! _ Ashleigh thought, then she remembered that Ladybug’s name was English) “Lucky Charm!” A large red-and-black box with a cross on the front fell into her hands, which she looked at for a second.

“A first aid kit? That’s a bad sign,” said Chat Noir.

Ladybug shushed him, and looked over the edge of the roof. She said something to Chat Noir; Ashleigh thought she heard Adrien’s name.

Chat Noir shook his head. “Adrien’s far away and safe; we don’t have time to find him to be bait.”

Ashleigh gasped; they both turned to her. She realized that she could keep Adrien safe and maybe save her mother at the same time. “What if you had someone who  _ looked _ like Adrien?” She grabbed her blo nde mane of hair and began to twist it into a little bun on the back of her head.

Ladybug brightened. “Oui!” She opened the kit, and got out alcohol wipes and a stretch bandage. Ashleigh scrubbed the makeup off her face with the wipes.

Chat Noir looked upset. “We can’t use you as bait- do you know how risky that would be? Your mother could hurt you, if she mistakes you for Adrien!”

Ashleigh gave him a serious look. “If it means getting my mother back-” she saw him flinch slightly, “-I’m doing anything I can. Besides, you need someone who can get close. I’m the best chance you’ve got.”

He shook his head, but said nothing else.

Ashleigh made Chat Noir turn around while she bound her chest down under her shirt with the bandage. Not that she had much there, but it would be a dead giveaway to anyone who looked too close.

Ladybug looked at Ashleigh and shook her head a little. She rattled off a sentence, and Chat Noir said, “She’s supposed to look like him. That’s the point of this, no matter how uncanny it is.”

He turned back around, and ran his claws through Ashleigh’s bangs, styling them a little closer to Adrien’s. “I will fake Adrien’s voice and call the bodyguard to you. Once he takes you to Dragon-Elle, try to grab the brooch and throw it to me. Okay?”

Ladybug gave Chat Noir a dark glance and a sarcastic- sounding sentence; he shrugged and responded with an insolent grin, “Just because I couldn’t mimic you once doesn’t mean I can’t mimic him.” Ashleigh hid a smile behind her hand.

Chat Noir then picked her up. “Let’s get you in place.” He leaped across roofs and down to the street, depositing Ashleigh near where they could see the bodyguard hunting. He patted her shoulder in a familiar gesture, and ducked behind a trash can.

Ashleigh waved her arms to get the man’s attention. Chat Noir shouted (and he really  _ did _ sound like Adrien; Ashleigh wondered…)  _ “Hey! Par ici! Tu me cherches?” _

The man looked over at Ashleigh; his idiotic grin widened as he saw her. She backed up a step and turned as he approached, keeping her arms in the air; he grabbed her around the waist and carried her off.

Ashleigh couldn’t hear Chat Noir anymore, but she could see him back on the roofs and running ahead. Ladybug was on the roofs too, leading him further down the street. Ashleigh pretended to struggle as she was carried toward Dragon-Elle, but she didn’t make a sound as the monster that had been her mother came near.

“Did you think you could get away? You won’t be a threat to my Ashleigh after you burn,” said the villain.

Ashleigh’s heart hammered; she saw a purple glow appear over Dragon-Elle’s eyes. Over the shoulder of the villain, she saw Chat Noir and Ladybug drop to the street.

Dragon-Elle came closer, looking deep into Ashleigh’s face. Quickly, she snatched the blackened brooch off the lizard-skin lapel. “Sorry, Mom!” She chucked the brooch over her mother’s head, straight at Chat Noir, who grabbed it with a hand that glowed black. A black-purple butterfly escaped from between his fingers.

Ladybug spun her yoyo as Dragon-Elle shouted and grabbed Ashleigh’s arm. The yoyo caught the black butterfly, and Ashleigh gasped as a white one was released from the toy. Dragon-Elle vanished in a swirl of black energy, and her mother was back.

Ladybug threw the first-aid kit into the sky. “Miraculous Ladybug!” The kit broke apart into a fast-moving blur of energies in every color of a ladybug; the energy restored all the people Dragon-Elle had touched, as well as the burnt tree and the little brooch. Adrien’s bodyguard, looking startled to be holding Ashleigh, put her down quickly.

Cat Noir held the brooch out to Ashleigh with a bow. “Thank you for your help,  _ mademoiselle _ . I believe this belongs to your mother?”

“Thanks.” She reached for the brooch, but grabbed his hand instead and pulled him into a hug. “And thank you for saving my mom-“ she whispered in his ear, “- _ brother. _ ” She heard him gasp slightly, and let him go with a smile.

His ring let out a beep; so did Ladybug’s earrings. The two heroes fist-bumped, and headed away to the rooftops. Ashleigh waved after them for a second, then turned to her mother.

“We’re staying, right? And finishing the shoot?”

Her mother pursed her lips. “I suppose we should. But what happened, Ashleigh?”

“You don’t remember?” Ashleigh took her mom’s hand and led her back to the building for the shoot. “Okay, it was like this…”

Adrien showed up a minute or two later; he gave Ashleigh some slightly worried glances, but she pretended not to see. She knew now why he liked Ladybug so much. Although she would never ask him to confirm it; he had been right about the whole ‘secret identity’ thing.

One more day of shooting, and Ashleigh and her mother headed home. Frankly, if no one saw the photos (well, if no one  _ at school _ saw the photos), Ashleigh was okay with it. She got to see superheroes in action, and she now had someone like a brother to talk to. It was an awesome trip she wouldn’t forget.

*****************************

_ “So? How did it go?” _ Adrien’s face was full of anticipation.

Ashleigh yawned. She’d had to get up way too early on a weekend morning for this chat with her ‘brother’. With a nine-hour time difference and both their crazy schedules, they’d only spoken a few times since the shoot in Paris.

The last time they’d chatted, Ashleigh had been frustrated- she had been trying to find or make a decent costume for a party she’d been invited to. And she  really wanted to go; Matthew was going to be there, and she wanted to impress him (and she hoped that maybe a mask would help her talk to him normally).

Adrien had listened to her vent, and nodded.  _ “I have an idea. Give me two days,” _ he’d said. And sure enough, two days later there was a box sitting on her bed. Inside was a fantastically accurate Chat Noir costume, a copy of her favorite picture from the shoot, and a note **.** **_I wore this once for a music video that never got made. I checked; it should fit you now. I want to hear all about it! Adrien._ **

Ashleigh was thrilled; she tried it on immediately (it was a touch snug in the chest and loose in the waist, but not so much anyone would notice) and took a selfie. She sent it to Adrien with the caption,  **_What do you think? Ready to save the city?_ **

A throat clearing startled Ashleigh out of her memories.  _ “Hey Ashleigh! Wake up!” _

“Sorry. Late night, early morning… _ you _ know.” Ashleigh shook her head to wake herself up.

_ “Don’t keep me in suspense!”  _ Adrien’s face pleaded for answers.  _ “How did it go with Matthew?” _

“I didn’t see him all night,” Ashleigh moaned. “And I  know he was there, his best friend Andrew said so.” She jammed her cheek into her fist as she leaned on her elbow. “I mean- I had fun, but…it would’ve been more fun with Matthew.”

_ “Ouch. I’m sorry, Ashleigh.” _ Adrien really did look sorry.

“It’s okay. Like I said, I had fun. And I had no idea there were so many Chat Noir fans around here- I almost got mobbed when I got to the party.” Ashleigh perked up. “There was even a guy there dressed as Ladybug. He hung around me all night- here,” she sent him a photo link. “He had me take a selfie with him.”

Adrien glanced at the corner of the screen, no doubt checking out the picture. Ashleigh didn’t want to look at it again; she knew she’d been making a weird face in it, giving a half-smile and a sideways glance as the guy Ladybug hugged her shoulders and grinned at the camera.

“He was nice, I guess, but kind of annoying since I couldn’t seriously look for Matthew while he was hanging around. I mean, I know he has dark hair and blue eyes like her, so I guess it was appropriate but backwards. Still…”

Adrien was still studying the picture. He started playing with his mouse on the other side of the screen.

“Um, Adrien? Did you know you look really silly with your tongue sticking out of the corner of your mouth like that?”

_ “Ha, ha, trés drôle. You’re going to feel a lot sillier in a second.” _ He clicked twice, and a picture popped up on Ashleigh’s screen. It was the photo from the party, but Adrien had scrubbed the mask off the boy dressed as Ladybug and replaced it with skin-tone. And without the mask…

Ashleigh fell out of her chair with a thud. “What??!”

Adrien was laughing.  _ “Ashleigh? Are you okay?” _

Picking herself up, she plopped back in her chair. “That was Matthew? All night??”

_ “I take it you never asked who he was.”  _ Adrien had stopped laughing, but that annoying smirk was back on his face.  _ “And you thought  _ _ I _ _ was blind.” _

Ashleigh pouted at him. “It’s not my fault I could see it and you couldn’t. Have you confirmed it?”

Adrien looked away from the camera.  _ “No. It’s not time yet.” _

She shrugged and grinned at him. “Don’t wait too long, okay? I certainly don’t plan to. And tell me all about it when you do!”

He groaned. _ “Okay, that’s fair, if you tell me about yours. Talk to you later?” _

“Sure. See you next time!” Ashleigh logged off the computer. She smiled, thinking about the next time she’d see Matthew. Maybe she’d surprise him at his locker next Monday. Ashleigh hummed as she began her day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand... that's all she wrote. 
> 
> Thank you again, Karma, for the picture prompt. I get so many ideas from the Discord chats, it's unbelievable.
> 
> Next fic will begin next week. Anyone up for a trip into the supernatural (more than usual, that is)?
> 
> Please comment/ critique/ holla below. Kudos and comments make my day!

**Author's Note:**

> It's weird, what will set off an idea. Karma posted a picture (wish I knew where it was, so I could show you), of a girl-version of Adrien in the back seat of the car, leaning against the window. Same pose as from 'The Mime'. And I wondered...why...and...
> 
> ...a new story came out.
> 
> Marinette's grasp of English may be better than this- or not- but it made a good story point. Ashleigh's grasp of French is similar to mine, despite a full year of schooling in it. (I did better with German, although I understand it a lot better than I speak it.)
> 
> Hope you enjoy this! Comments and kudos are the food that keeps me going!


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